🇺🇸 United States vs United Kingdom 🇬🇧 — Take-Home Pay
A side-by-side look at how much of your salary you actually keep in each country.
🇺🇸 United States
= $60,000 per year
Estimated monthly take-home
$4,050
$48,597 per year · 19.0% goes to tax & contributions
| Item | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | $60,000 | $5,000 |
| Federal income tax | −$5,020 | −$418 |
| Social Security6.2% up to $184,500 | −$3,720 | −$310 |
| Medicare1.45% | −$870 | −$73 |
| California income tax | −$1,793 | −$149 |
| Take-home pay | $48,597 | $4,050 |
Estimate only — not tax advice. Figures are estimates based on publicly available tax rules and may not reflect your full circumstances. See our methodology & sources. Always confirm with an official tax authority or a licensed adviser before making decisions.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
= £35,000 per year
Estimated monthly take-home
£2,393
£28,720 per year · 17.9% goes to tax & contributions
| Item | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | £35,000 | £2,917 |
| Income Tax | −£4,486 | −£374 |
| National InsuranceClass 1 employee | −£1,794 | −£150 |
| Take-home pay | £28,720 | £2,393 |
Estimate only — not tax advice. Figures are estimates based on publicly available tax rules and may not reflect your full circumstances. See our methodology & sources. Always confirm with an official tax authority or a licensed adviser before making decisions.
Effective tax at a glance
| Income level | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Low | $36,000 → 15% tax | £21,000 → 11% tax |
| Median | $60,000 → 19% tax | £35,000 → 18% tax |
| High | $120,000 → 28% tax | £70,000 → 27% tax |
Why the numbers differ
United States: Your US take-home pay depends on three things stacked together: federal income tax, state income tax, and FICA payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare). The federal part is progressive — you only pay each rate on the income that falls inside its bracket — and starts after the standard deduction is subtracted from your gross pay.
United Kingdom: UK take-home pay is shaped by two parallel deductions: Income Tax and National Insurance (NI). Everyone gets a tax-free Personal Allowance (£12,570), after which Income Tax applies in bands of 20%, 40% and 45%. National Insurance is charged separately on your earnings and funds the state pension and benefits.
The biggest driver is usually the balance between income tax and social contributions, and where each country sets its brackets. A country with lower headline income tax can still leave you with less if its social contributions are high — which is exactly why comparing the take-home figure, not the tax rate, matters when you're deciding where to work.
Cost of living then changes the real picture again. Use our cost-of-living comparator alongside these numbers before making a relocation decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
+Is take-home pay higher in United States or United Kingdom?
It depends on the salary level. Compare the effective-rate table and run both calculators above with your own figures — and remember to weigh cost of living, not just tax.
+Why do United States and United Kingdom tax differently?
United States relies on federal + state income tax and FICA, while United Kingdom uses Income Tax and National Insurance. The mix of income tax versus social contributions, and where the brackets sit, drives most of the difference.
Estimate only — not tax advice. Figures are estimates based on publicly available tax rules and may not reflect your full circumstances. See our methodology & sources (last reviewed June 2026). Always confirm with an official tax authority or a licensed adviser before making decisions.